The flu Health Article

Treatment

If you have mild illness and are not at high-risk, take these steps:

• Rest
• Take medicines that relieve symptoms and help you rest
• Drink plenty of liquids
• Avoid aspirin (especially teens and children)
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco
• Avoid antibiotics (unless necessary for another illness)

If the flu is diagnosed within 48 hours of when symptoms begin, especially if you are high risk for complications, antiviral medications may help shorten the length of symptoms by approximately a day.

In the past, doctors commonly prescribed the antiviral medications amantadine and rimantadine to treat type A influenza. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that neither drug be used for such treatment because of growing resistance to the drugs. Instead, the agency recommends using oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza), which are active against both influenza A and B. These medicines affect different viruses. They may have psychiatric side effects, including self-injury or hallucinations. Talk to your doctor about whether one of these drugs is right for you.

Treatment is usually not necessary for children, but if the illness is diagnosed early and the patient is at risk of developing a severe case, it can be started. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is the best choice for children age 12 and older. It is available in as a liquid, which may make it easier to give to the child than zanamivir (Relenza), which comes in an inhaler.

Treatment will only help if started early and only if the illness is actually influenza. It will not help treat a regular cold.

Expectations (prognosis)

In most individuals who are otherwise healthy, the flu goes away within 7 to 10 days.

Complications

Possible complications, especially for those at high risk, include:

• Pneumonia
• Encephalitis (infection of the brain)
• Bronchitis
• Sinus infections
• Ear infections

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if someone in a high-risk category develops symptoms of the flu.

Prevention

A yearly vaccine is recommended for infants, the elderly, women who may be pregnant during flu season, and those with certain chronic health conditions. The vaccine is also recommended for people who work or live with others at high risk.

A flu shot can help lower one's chances of getting the flu. A flu shot is generally available to people who:

• Are over 6 months old
• Don't have a serious allergy to eggs
• Haven't had a serious reaction to flu shots in the past
• Are not pregnant

A new nasal spray-type flu vaccine called FluMist is available to people aged 2 to 49 years old. FluMist uses a live, weakened virus instead of a dead one like the flu shot. In one study, the nasal spray provided protection against the flu in up to 93% of children.

See also: Influenza vaccine

References

CDC Recommends Against the Use of Amantadine and Rimantadine for the Treatment or Prophylaxis of Influenza in the United States during the 2005-06 Influenza Season. Atlanta, Ga. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; January 14, 2006.

Long SS, Pickering LK, and Prober CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2003:1159-1160.

Ferri FF. Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2005:447-448.

Noble J. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001.

US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves Nasal Influenza Vaccine for Use in Younger Children. Rockville, MD: National Press Office; September 19, 2007.